Stepped on. Bulldozed. whooped Molly. Completely outmatched.

All of those words sum up Thursday night’s dismal performance by the Boston Celtics vs the Milwaukee Bucks. It was never in doubt as the home team Bucks cruised to a 135-102 victory.

The Celtics were on the tail end of a back-to-back, having played extra ball the night before, following their overtime victory against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday at TD Garden. Derrick White, Jrue Holiday, Jaylen Brown, and Jayson Tatum all played at least 38 minutes, with Brown and Tatum all reaching 40.

With the exception of Al Horford’s absence, Boston had every possible reason to explain away a 33-point loss. The only way ahead is now.

According to Jrue Holiday, the best way to bounce back after a crushing defeat is to play in the following game.

There hasn’t been a blowout like Thursday night’s one since 2001. The two-seed in the Eastern Conference, Milwaukee, completely dominated Boston. Even with the setback, there are still important realities that hold.

Once again, the Celtics hold the title of Eastern Conference top seed. They lead the Bucks by three games still. To this day, no NBA club has fewer than 10 losses as they have. In terms of net rating, they remain tops in the NBA.

I hate losing. A loss of ten points or more is devastating. It is humiliating to lose by 33 points. No amount of success or failure, no matter how big or small, can alter head coach Joe Mazzulla’s emphasis on a day-to-day strategy for the Celtics this season.

The team has “developed a toughness, a mindset” over the past 38 games, according to Mazzulla. On consecutive days, we have accomplished a tremendous deal. Despite being understaffed, we have accomplished a tremendous deal. And it simply wasn’t our night tonight. And I believe it’s important to have the humility to recognize that occasionally.

In the face of what seemed like an inevitable loss, Mazzulla benched the starting lineup at halftime. The starting lineup from Boston shot 32.0% from the field and 6.3% from beyond the arc throughout the game. The first half saw the Bucks shoot 57.1% from the field and 50.0% from beyond the arc, with 28 for 49 and 11 for 22 shots, respectively.

The defense rotation could have been better by the Celtics. They might have done a better job smashing the glass. They might have made a better choice of shots. The Celtics could have done a better job in a thоusand different areas of the game.

However, after achieving such remarkable success this season, the Celtics must proceed to the next level. Take a look at the movie, point out any errors in the execution, and then proceed.

It would be unreasonable to drastically change a strategy that has produced the league’s best record just because of one exceptional game. They also do not intend to accomplish that.

“The players are the center of attention,” Mazzulla stated. After a year on the field, I can sаy with confidence that listening to the player’s perspective on life, team dynamics, and goals is the key.

My faith in our team and our character is so unshakeable. You need to take a look at it and ask, “OK, is this an exception?” Am I seeing a pattern here? Is this something that needs your attention? “No, no” is the response that comes to mind when one considers such matters.

The sight of a possible playoff opponent being thrashed is unpleasant. Before their rematch with the Bucks on March 30, the Celtics will surely keep this game in the rearview mirror. Right now, though, Saturday night’s game between the Houston Rockets and the rest of the NBA is the only thing that counts.

I believe that our team’s resilience, our style of play, and our belief in playing the correct way will ensure that we always figҺt,” Holiday stated. “Remember, it wasn’t because we weren’t trying. As soon as we Һit the court, we will give it our best effort. Accordingly, “I’m not worried.”